bloomingtide

FROM NOW ON SHOWTIME, MY (UNDERRATED) BELOVED.

2022 is almost over but i have yet to find a drama i loved as much as i did FNOS, which aired in april/may. Since this has become an all time favorite of mine i keep rewatching episodes of when the mood strikes i doubt this will happen. Definitely my-absolute fave of this year and a comfort drama i will always return to <3

There is one case per episode or two with a separate overarching plot, concerning the leads, spanning over the 16 episodes. Is this what you mean?

If you liked Mystic Pop Up Bar, make sure to check out the newest but sadly vastly overlooked work of the drama's writer, as both have similar vibes and themes:

https://kisskh.at/article/currently-watching-from-now-on-showtime-a-romcom-with-3ms
https://kisskh.at/699445-showtime-from-now-on

I started watching it when it premiered but soon after put it on hold due to it being a lot more dramatic/tragic than anticipated. And because i wasn't in the mood to watch something darker/heavy at that time.

I may give it another try when it is releasing on my countries' netflix tho. I love sageuks but a too much palace politicking and old corrupt guys scheming ratio puts me to sleep. Did the drama lighten up a little or is it still tragic/sad only?

Haha, no problem. I never had SLS so i cannot relate xD And this drama is no exception to it, but yeah i guess it is due to ML's being written a lot better/broader in recent years than it once was, and i also lack a nostalgia google of how good SML's have been in "the olden days" xD

Sunho is kinda cute but i also find him to be a cliche af SML, with comical bad timing, sulking/pining in the background around the leads, rich parent problems and pining/holding out for FL despite being well aware of how she feels about him and her crush on ML. Plus he is a "bad boy" turned good by love trope in a way. Before meeting FL he had only used the girls he was with until he grew bored of them, but falling in love changed it aaaaaalll (and i just threw up a little in my mouth ngl) So yeah... very cliche. But then again, nothing in this drama is original tbh xD (tho the mystery/thriller component in a perky college romcom is a nice touch)

ML and SML are quite opposites, while ML keeps his feelings under lock in order to protect FL and puts her/her safety above his feelings/want, SML comes on strong to her several times and interferes whenever the leads meet, which is annoying. But unlike HJ he also listens and is there for FL when needed and a decent friend that is happy to be around her. However as said he always holds out the hope for friendship being only a temporary step to romance, or had done so until recently. While the boy also struggles with accepting "NO" or boundaries set, at least his confession in the recent episode used the term "unrequited love" Which makes me hope that he accepts now that friendship is as far their relationship will go. Baby steps lol.

It is still a fun watch, particular since i have, unlike you, little to none kdramas airing atm that interest me/or held my interest, and thus I am already reverting back to older dramas to watch atm xD

Sorry but a person with the surname kim in SK is as often to find like "smith" in the usa, so to draw conclusions from that alone on the culprit or MinJae's connection to him is impossible to do ;)

Yes, as i said, hiiii :D Wrong foot indeed. Tae Hee's shins' suffered a lot to get where they are now hahaha, poor guy. But the leads' maaaan, they are now my weekly dose of serotonin and i love how their relationship is developed. As said, there is a very effortless and natural feel to them growing closer and i cannot wait for the dating era (inclusive lots of handholding so he can make a point) to start tbh. Happy to see you here, friend. I just knew you would enjoy it as it reminds me quite a bit on MPUB, after all :D

Yeah, I'm *always* with the leads and have been for over 100 kdramas. My streak of no SLS is unbroken to this day, lol. Seeing i only started watching kdrama in 2021, where ML's already been written in an arguably better and broader way than the old days this could be the reason why i remain indifferent to SML and rooting for them. I know that in olden kdramas (which i avoid to watch) the ML was often a(n abusive) jerk extraordinaire and SML kind and caring but still FL chose the ML for inexplainable reasons. Nowadays however, such a distinction is no longer or very rarely exists anymore, and ML very often the kind/caring and more fleshed out character or they are similar in traits, at best. Plus i have seen too many creepy assholes as SML's as well by now to fall into this trap (Extraordinary You, Mr. Queen, Tale Of The Nine Tails to name a few) and dislike the bad boy/player turned good bc he fell in lurve in general (which is the same with this drama if in a milder form, aka he is not as bad as others)

I mean ppl wishing that she ends up with SML, futile as it may be, is legit, however the way they do that so counts. Which is possible to do without fully regarding the FL's wishes, agency and role in it all. Not that hard to do, either. Truly.

He is the classic 2ML archetype i would say, inclusive pouting in the rain/background while the leads have their moments, lol. I just can't take this love triangle or him seriously due to that, because with all up and downs and fakeouts of "romantic moments" between them atm this sketch is EXACTLY how it is/will be for him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XkNwhHxGVE (🤣)

Unlike in LIC, FL/SML are/becoming friends quite fast, which is why he keeps holding out and hoping for more. He is by far not as bad as Haejin, but also struggles with the concept of giving up after being rejected and made clear that her heart lies elsewhere. Not as egoistical like Haejin but also living in a privileged bubble inclusive similar rich parents troubles, lol. Even if he is no bad character, it is all quite cliche ngl..One thing that bothers me is that ML gets the Jiho treatment in the mid-episodes as well. Meaning the focus shifts to SML a lot atm and we see more of his family life and such than with ML, who nearly lacks any background thus far. SML is extroverted and straightforward, while ML falls more into the quieter, overthinking but gentle and romantic at heart category.

To ML's defense... he has a lot on his plate atm with the threats against FL and the cheering team and his wish to protect her, but young as they are he/they is/are not the best in communicating it, thus misunderstandings happen. However where the attraction/feelings lie on side of the leads is made clear to the viewers early on, now it is just a matter of the characters getting to know it too, thus SML never stood/stands a chance. Does not help that both leads are self-sacrificing- putting others always first idiots in different ways, hence why it takes so long for them to confess to each other, lol.

The highlight of this drama is independent of it however the FL's character and the acting of HJH. Like Jiho she brightens every scene and i find myself laughing along at her antics and quirks, but in a very bubbly, chaotic and lovable way. She is a well-written, level-headed character who remains true to herself, never lets others put her down or cares what they think about her. So far away from the typical "woe is me/hyper-optimistic" poor hardworking FL archetype. There is a realistic feel and depth to her and i enjoy her character a lot.

You are free to ship whoever you like but this "come first, serve first" mentality and how "Sunho deserves to get Haery because he liked her first" is frankly gross. Outside of the fact that attraction and love are not coins you can put in a slot machine to "win" and get the other to reciprocate, Haeyi is also neither a goat to sell to SML, nor a thing to possess or claim stakes at, but a person (Fictional or not, it is about the dehumanizing/objectifying way people talk about a young woman here.) Her feelings and her choice are what matters, nothing else. And fact is... not for a minute she has even considered SML a viable choice as a romantic partner for a lot of reasons that notnini below explains well. So ship what you like idc, just don't take away or diminish FL's agency and role in it all. Thanks.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/6445ca88-dc2d-4110-be0f-371955867bfd

FL works in a funeral parlor so the stories of the people will get told episodically (keep some tissues ready) but overall it is very focused on the stories of the leads where each episode peels back a layer to give us better insight into them. Humor and sadness are well-balanced here.

As for the leads' budding romance ....they are so stinking cute and i adore them. I am giggling along and feel 🦋 whenever they interact. There is no *romance* romance yet, but it is the delicious in between/on the cusp of it atm with lingering looks and ML being obviously very smitten by her. And it is not one-sided either, of course, just that ML's crush is more noticeable with how observant he is toward her and adjusts to meet her halfway. Their dynamic especially in the latest episodes feels very natural and easy with lot of smiles and teasing and laughter. As with many leads they start off on a very wrong foot but as they keep running into each other, it slowly shifts. They get to know more of each other bit by bit and so their initial bad view of each other changes into the opposite. The chemistry between the actors is perfect, they play off each other well and there is this companionable ease of long-time friends between them, but tension (romantic or otherwise) when needed. Definitely give it a go and then also time till inclusive episode 6 as there gets their dynamic to shine and you have a full picture of how it changed in comparison to episode 1 :D

The leads are really cute tho and i already ship them. My streak of no SLS in over 100 kdramas continues, haha. That being said this SML seems to be a classic one... always watching from the distance how the leads have a good time/share a moment together and then sulks about it, lol. Has comically bad timing as well. Sorry i cannot I cannot take this love triangle/him seriously due to that, whoops.

aww no problem, it can be a little confusing if you miss the small details they put (uncommented) in a scene like dates etc so i am happy to help. Was confusing for me first but writing the timeline down helped me as well to sort it out haha

It is structured like tomorrow or Mystic Pop Up Bar in a way, where there is one story of the "clients" per episode or two, but a lot is also overarching and overlapping. Aka side characters you see once or twice in early episodes may become important/have their own story in latter episodes. The focus of the drama is definitely on the leads' and their story/past and experiences and every episode peels back a little of their layers and gives context to prior seemingly random scenes.

I have just started watching this (episode 3 now) but the love triangle constantly reminds me of this sketch *cackle*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XkNwhHxGVE

Haha, no problem because i have become so smitten with this drama and the leads. Thus i think way too much about and love to analyze its characters and plot :D

FL started working in the funeral parlor in 2020, since the boy died in october 2020 (checked the paper they showed, there is a date) and had her supernatural encounter which made her run away from it. There is a scene in the early episode that show her studying and the boy appears accusing her of abandoning him. So i guess she went back to studying for perhaps a year or so, since it is mentioned that she failed the civil exam two times. Then ofc her ignoring to help the dead/fulfill their last wishes brought her a long phase of bad luck and injuries (which she recounts in the first episode) and eventually forced her to go back to her job. Hence why in 2022 this is then just her third paycheck only, because she had just returned to it after a long "ignorance is bliss" phase in order to pay her due and end her bad luck.

Consequently this means ML really went to military service for about a year (it is 18 months in SK), something the former doctor friend (?) of his also mentions. Hence around 2 years have passed in between the events with the boy and ML/FL meeting and him developing feelings for her. So it is not like it all happens in a timespan of 2-3 months, right after breaking up with his ex, lmao.

NOICE *high five* :D

i have not many ongoing kdrams now (they either don't interest or disappointed me) so i may dip my toes into my first family drama with 50 eps now, since it is so readily available on viki too, heh.

haha, yeah he is great, and i cannot wait to see how this loveline develops. (also so weird to see the actor as a kind and wholesome guy in here after just finishing Just Between Lovers lately, where he played a greedy corporate raging/yelling asshole haha)